Code Blue! George Clooney Leaves Wife Amal On Standby To Swoon '90s ER Flame

George Clooney left Amal Clooney hanging on the red carpet when he spotted former "ER" co-star Julianna Margulies. It was a big night for George as he was being honored at the Chaplin Award Gala in New York City on April 27. The "Jay Kelly" actor walked the red carpet of the event while holding hands with his wife. For the occasion, the lawyer stepped out of her comfort zone and sported a violet-colored Balenciaga minidress that had an off-the-shoulder neckline. Amal looked dazzling as she wore her hair up in a ponytail to expose Cartier earrings that matched her Cartier bracelets. His wife's stunning look did not hold George's attention when he saw Margulies giving an interview on the red carpet. 

George Clooney usually only has eyes for his beautiful wife Amal (and who can blame him) – but when he spied Julianna Margulies on the red carpet at the Chaplin Award Gala (where he was being honoured) he couldn't resist walking over and giving her a kiss on the shoulder. ER... pic.twitter.com/UvWL1njBtP

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Footage showed him unlocking hands with Amal as the "Ocean's 11" star scurried over to Margulies from behind. George grabbed her and quickly planted a kiss on Margulies' shoulder as Amal stood nearby. Margulies laughed in surprise at the quick peck. She then stopped to greet Amal, and the two women exchanged kisses on the cheek. When the clip of George kissing his former co-star's shoulder was shared online, "ER" fans noted how undeniable the chemistry was between George's Doug Ross and Margulies' Carol Hathaway.

The spark fans alluded to was real, as Margulies admitted her and Clooney had crushes on each other while filming together. "That can't happen if you don't have a crush on each other," she told People in 2021. "And with George and me, it was so organic," Margulies said, while adding that Carol was originally supposed to only be in one episode. As Margulies would later reveal, the former "ER" stars formed a close relationship over the years.

While giving an interview at the Chaplin Award Gala, Julianna Margulies recalled an "ER" mini-reunion she had with Noah Wyle and Anthony Edwards at the premiere of George Clooney's "Good Night, and Good Luck" on Broadway a year earlier. After his big show, Clooney spotted his former "ER" co-stars and rushed to them for feedback. "He wanted us to be around him first, before anyone else," Margulies recalled to the Associated Press. "So you don't ever forget that, and those bonds are for life," she added. Even though his former County General Hospital co-workers made sure to attend George's Broadway show in April 2025, Amal Clooney was noticeably absent. Some people took it as a red flag in George and Amal's relationship that she wasn't on hand to support her husband. "George Clooney's debut not attended by his wife," an X user wrote at the time.

Part of the reason the former castmates remained so close had to do with their time together off-screen. Margulies spoke about what Clooney was really like on the set of "ER." According to "The Morning Show" actor, it was when the cameras stopped rolling that she and George truly bonded. She recalled filming non-hospital scenes in Chicago with George and the crew. "After shooting a cold, cold night, we'd all go back ... just sit in the hotel lobby and drink and eat and have fun," Margulies told E! News in 2018.

A couple years after that interview, Margulies made a sweet post on Instagram dedicated to her former on-screen love interest's birthday. She shared a behind-the-scenes snap of her and George's final day shooting together.